Method and system of all-or-nothing transform (aont) for increasing blockchain integrity

ABSTRACT

A method for generating a block for a blockchain utilizing an all-or-nothing transform includes: storing, in a memory of a blockchain node in a blockchain network, a blockchain comprised of a plurality of blocks including at least a most recent block; receiving a plurality of blockchain transactions; applying an all-or-nothing transform (AONT) to the plurality of blockchain transactions to generate a plurality of pseudomessage blocks; generating a new block header including at least a timestamp and a hash value associated with the most recent block; generating a new block including at least the generated new block header and the plurality of pseudomessage blocks; and transmitting the generated new block to a plurality of additional blockchain nodes in the blockchain network.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates to generation of blocks on a blockchainusing an all-or-nothing transform (AONT), specifically the use of anall-or-nothing transform as an alternative to Merkle trees to improveprocessing times and reduce file sizes for blockchains.

BACKGROUND

Blockchain was initially created as a storage mechanism for use inconducting payment transactions with a cryptographic currency. Using ablockchain provides a number of benefits, such as decentralization,distributed computing, transparency regarding transactions, and yet alsoproviding anonymity as to the individuals or entities involved in atransaction. One of the more popular aspects of a blockchain is that itis an immutable record: every transaction ever that is part of the chainis stored therein and cannot be changed due to the computationalrequirements and bandwidth limitations, particularly as a chain getslonger and a blockchain network adds more nodes.

However, as the chain gets longer the file size of the blockchainincreases because of new blocks constantly being added, which can becomedifficult for storage in systems and especially difficult for onboardingnew nodes. In addition, processing times for new blocks also increase asthe number of transactions increase, which can lengthen the time ittakes for transactions to be verified and added to a blockchain, slowingdown the overall processing of blockchain transactions beyond times thatmay be necessary depending on the application.

Thus, there is a need of a technical improvement to blockchains toreduce processing times and file sizes to provide for more efficientblockchains.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a description of systems and methods forgenerating new blocks in a blockchain using an all-or-nothing transform(AONT). When new transactions for a blockchain are received, thetransactions are validated and then an AONT is applied to thetransactions. This generates a set of pseudomessage blocks that can onlybe generated using the original set of transaction data, thus providingfor proper validation of transactions and preventing tampering. A newblock header is generated for the next block that includes a timestampand a reference to the most recently added block in the chain but doesnot need to include a Merkle root. This reduces the overall file size ofa blockchain by making every header smaller and decreases processingtimes as the transactions do not need to be hashed and no Merkle treegenerated. The new header is included in a new block that is generatedthat also includes the pseudomessage blocks. This new block is added tothe blockchain, thus providing for a blockchain with faster processingtimes and reduced file size without sacrificing security or immutabilityand maintaining the ability for transactions to be independentlyverified.

A method for generating a block for a blockchain utilizing anall-or-nothing transform includes: storing, in a memory of a blockchainnode in a blockchain network, a blockchain comprised of a plurality ofblocks including at least a most recent block; receiving, by a receiverof the blockchain node, a plurality of blockchain transactions;applying, by a processor of the blockchain node, an all-or-nothingtransform (AONT) to the plurality of blockchain transactions to generatea plurality of pseudomessage blocks; generating, by the processor of theblockchain node, a new block header including at least a timestamp and ahash value associated with the most recent block; generating, by theprocessor of the blockchain node, a new block including at least thegenerated new block header and the plurality of pseudomessage blocks;and transmitting, by a transmitter of the blockchain node, the generatednew block to a plurality of additional blockchain nodes in theblockchain network.

A system for generating a block for a blockchain utilizing anall-or-nothing transform includes: a blockchain network including aplurality of additional blockchain nodes; and a blockchain node in theblockchain network including a memory storing a blockchain comprised ofa plurality of blocks including at least a most recent block, a receiverreceiving a plurality of blockchain transactions, a processor applyingan all-or-nothing transform (AONT) to the plurality of blockchaintransactions to generate a plurality of pseudomessage blocks, generatinga new block header including at least a timestamp and a hash valueassociated with the most recent block, and generating a new blockincluding at least the generated new block header and the plurality ofpseudomessage blocks, and a transmitter transmitting the generated newblock to the plurality of additional blockchain nodes in the blockchainnetwork.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

The scope of the present disclosure is best understood from thefollowing detailed description of exemplary embodiments when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. Included in the drawings arethe following figures:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a high-level system architecturefor generating new blocks in a blockchain using an all-or-nothingtransform (AONT) in accordance with exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a blockchain node of the systemof FIG. 1 for generating new blocks in a blockchain using an AONT inaccordance with exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for generating newblocks in a blockchain using an AONT in accordance with exemplaryembodiments.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart illustrating an exemplary method for generating anew block in a blockchain using an AONT in accordance with exemplaryembodiments.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a computer system architecture inaccordance with exemplary embodiments.

Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description of exemplary embodiments isintended for illustration purposes only and are, therefore, not intendedto necessarily limit the scope of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Glossary of Terms

Blockchain—A public ledger of all transactions of a blockchain-basedcurrency. One or more computing devices may comprise a blockchainnetwork, which may be configured to process and record transactions aspart of a block in the blockchain. Once a block is completed, the blockis added to the blockchain and the transaction record thereby updated.In many instances, the blockchain may be a ledger of transactions inchronological order or may be presented in any other order that may besuitable for use by the blockchain network. In some configurations,transactions recorded in the blockchain may include a destinationaddress and a currency amount, such that the blockchain records how muchcurrency is attributable to a specific address. In some instances, thetransactions are financial and others not financial, or might includeadditional or different information, such as a source address,timestamp, etc. In some embodiments, a blockchain may also oralternatively include nearly any type of data as a form of transactionthat is or needs to be placed in a distributed database that maintains acontinuously growing list of data records hardened against tampering andrevision, even by its operators, and may be confirmed and validated bythe blockchain network through proof of work and/or any other suitableverification techniques associated therewith. In some cases, dataregarding a given transaction may further include additional data thatis not directly part of the transaction appended to transaction data. Insome instances, the inclusion of such data in a blockchain mayconstitute a transaction. In such instances, a blockchain may not bedirectly associated with a specific digital, virtual, fiat, or othertype of currency.

AONT—First described in Rivest, Ronald, “All-or-nothing encryption andthe package transform,” FAST SOFTWARE ENCRYPTION Proceedings, LectureNotes in Computer Science. 1267. pp. 210-218. (1997), ISBN978-3-540-63247-4, transform includes “preprocessing plaintext by XORingeach plaintext block with that block's index encrypted by a randomlychosen key, then appending one extra block computed by XORing thatrandom key and the hashes of all the preprocessed blocks. The result ofthis preprocessing is called the pseudomessage, and it serves as theinput to the encryption algorithm. Undoing the package transformrequires hashing every block of the pseudomessage except the last,XORing all the hashes with the last block to recover the random key, andthen using the random key to convert each preprocessed block back intoits original plaintext block. In this way, it's impossible to recoverthe original plaintext without first having access to every single blockof the pseudomessage,” according to Wikipedia(wikipedia.org/wiki/All-or-nothing_transform) Other AONT protocols maybe employed.

System for Generating Blocks in a Blockchain Using an all-or-NothingTransform

FIG. 1 illustrates a system 100 for the generation of new blocks in ablockchain using an all-or-nothing transform (AONT).

The system 100 may include a blockchain network 104. The blockchainnetwork 104 may be comprised of a plurality of blockchain nodes 102,respectively. Each blockchain node 102 may be a computing system, suchas illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 5 , discussed in more detail below, thatis configured to perform functions related to the processing andmanagement of the blockchain, including the generation of blockchaindata values, verification of proposed blockchain transactions,verification of digital signatures, generation of new blocks, validationof new blocks, and maintenance of a copy of the blockchain.

The blockchain may be a distributed ledger that is comprised of at leasta plurality of blocks. Each block may include at least a block headerand one or more data values. Each block header may include at least atimestamp, a block reference value, and a data reference value. Thetimestamp may be a time at which the block header was generated and maybe represented using any suitable method (e.g., UNIX timestamp,DateTime, etc.). The block reference value may be a value thatreferences an earlier block (e.g., based on timestamp) in theblockchain. In some embodiments, a block reference value in a blockheader may be a reference to the block header of the most recently addedblock prior to the respective block. In an exemplary embodiment, theblock reference value may be a hash value generated via the hashing ofthe block header of the most recently added block. The data referencevalue may similarly be a reference to the one or more data values storedin the block that includes the block header. In an exemplary embodiment,the data reference value may be a hash value generated via the hashingof the one or more data values. For instance, the block reference valuemay be the root of a Merkle tree generated using the one or more datavalues.

The use of the block reference value and data reference value in eachblock header may result in the blockchain being immutable. Any attemptedmodification to a data value would require the generation of a new datareference value for that block, which would thereby require thesubsequent block's block reference value to be newly generated, furtherrequiring the generation of a new block reference value in everysubsequent block. This would have to be performed and updated in everysingle blockchain node 102 in the blockchain network 104 prior to thegeneration and addition of a new block to the blockchain in order forthe change to be made permanent. Computational and communicationlimitations may make such a modification exceedingly difficult, if notimpossible, thus rendering the blockchain immutable.

In some embodiments, the blockchain may be used to store informationregarding blockchain transactions conducted between two differentblockchain wallets. A blockchain wallet may include a private key of acryptographic key pair that is used to generate digital signatures thatserve as authorization by a payer for a blockchain transaction, wherethe digital signature can be verified by the blockchain network 104using the public key of the cryptographic key pair. In some cases, theterm “blockchain wallet” may refer specifically to the private key. Inother cases, the term “blockchain wallet” may refer to a computingdevice (e.g., sender device 106 and receiver device 108) that stores theprivate key for use thereof in blockchain transactions. For instance,each computing device may each have their own private key for respectivecryptographic key pairs and may each be a blockchain wallet for use intransactions with the blockchain associated with the blockchain network.Computing devices may be any type of device suitable to store andutilize a blockchain wallet, such as a desktop computer, laptopcomputer, notebook computer, tablet computer, cellular phone, smartphone, smart watch, smart television, wearable computing device,implantable computing device, etc.

Each blockchain data value stored in the blockchain may correspond to ablockchain transaction or other storage of data, as applicable. Ablockchain transaction may consist of at least: a digital signature ofthe sender of currency or other data (e.g., a sender device 106) that isgenerated using the sender's private key, a blockchain address of therecipient of currency or other data (e.g., a receiver device 108)generated using the recipient's public key, and a blockchain currencyamount that is transferred, or other data being stored. In someblockchain transactions, the transaction may also include one or moreblockchain addresses of the sender where blockchain currency iscurrently stored (e.g., where the digital signature proves their accessto such currency), as well as an address generated using the sender'spublic key for any change that is to be retained by the sender.Addresses to which cryptographic currency has been sent that can be usedin future transactions are referred to as “output” addresses, as eachaddress was previously used to capture output of a prior blockchaintransaction, also referred to as “unspent transactions,” due to therebeing currency sent to the address in a prior transaction where thatcurrency is still unspent. In some cases, a blockchain transaction mayalso include the sender's public key, for use by an entity in validatingthe transaction. For the traditional processing of a blockchaintransaction, such data may be provided to a blockchain node 102 in theblockchain network 104, either by the sender or the recipient. The nodemay verify the digital signature using the public key in thecryptographic key pair of the sender's wallet and also verify thesender's access to the funds (e.g., that the unspent transactions havenot yet been spent and were sent to address associated with the sender'swallet), a process known as “confirmation” of a transaction, and theninclude the blockchain transaction in a new block. The new block may bevalidated by other nodes in the blockchain network 104 before beingadded to the blockchain and distributed to all of the blockchain nodes102 in the blockchain network 104, respectively, in traditionalblockchain implementations. In cases where a blockchain data value maynot be related to a blockchain transaction, but instead the storage ofother types of data, blockchain data values may still include orotherwise involve the validation of a digital signature.

In the system 100, a blockchain node 102 may receive a plurality of newblockchain transactions, such as may be submitted thereto by one or moresender devices 106, receiver devices 108, and/or other blockchain nodes102 in the blockchain network 104. When it is time to generate a newblock, the blockchain node 102 may apply an AONT to the plurality of newblockchain transactions that are to be included in the new block. Aprocess to generate a new block may be initiated as a result of thesatisfaction of any suitable criteria, such as after a predeterminedperiod of time, a threshold number of new blockchain transactions havebeen received, etc. In some embodiments, new blockchain transactions maybe validated by blockchain nodes 102 prior to their inclusion in a newblock. For instance, a blockchain node 102 may validate digitalsignatures, validate that transaction inputs are unspent, validate theamount of blockchain currency being transferred, etc. If a newblockchain transaction fails validation, that blockchain transaction maynot be included in the plurality of new blockchain transactions beingincluded in a new block. In some cases, a blockchain node 102 mayencrypt new blockchain transactions prior to the generation of a newblock. In such cases, any suitable encryption algorithm and method maybe used.

The application of an AONT to the plurality of new blockchaintransactions may result in the generation of a plurality ofpseudomessage blocks. In an exemplary embodiment, the pseudomessageblocks may be stored in a newly generated block instead of the raw datafor the new blockchain transactions. The AONT may be applied to theplurality of new blockchain transactions using any suitable mode ofoperation, such as a counter mode or a CTRT-CTR mode. The AONT may alsouse any suitable type of encryption standard, such as the AdvancedEncryption Standard (AES). In some cases, the plurality of newblockchain transactions may be formatted prior to application of theAONT. For instance, in one example, the blockchain node 102 mayserialize the plurality of blockchain transactions into a byte arrayusing any suitable format.

As part of the generation of a new block, the blockchain node 102 maygenerate a new block header, such as discussed above. In an exemplaryembodiment, the new block header may not include a data reference value.In such embodiments, the blockchain node 102 may generate the new blockheader and new block without the generation of a Merkle tree and may notinclude a Merkle root in the new block or new block header. In somecases, the last pseudomessage block in the pseudomessage blocksgenerated via application of the AONT may be stored in the block headerin place of a traditional data reference value. The blockchain node 102may generate a new block that includes the new block header as well asthe pseudomessage blocks generated via the application of the AONT tothe plurality of new blockchain transactions. The newly generated blockmay be transmitted by the blockchain node 102 to a plurality of otherblockchain nodes 102 in the blockchain network 104 for confirmation andthen included in the blockchain using traditional methods and systems.

The new block may be added to the blockchain and be available for reviewand/or access by other entities depending on the type of blockchainbeing used. For instance, in a permissioned blockchain, only authorizedentities may have access to newly generated blocks. In a publicblockchain, the newly added block may be publicly accessible. Because anAONT is used to transform the new blockchain transactions, thepseudomessage blocks can be used to recreate the plurality of newblockchain transactions provided all of the pseudomessage blocks areused without the use of any keys or other data outside of the datastored in the new block.

In an example, the system 100 may include a validation system 110. Forinstance, the entities associated with the sender device 106 andreceiver device 108 may agree to a business deal where ownership of anitem is to be transferred from the receiving entity to the sendingentity after the sending entity transfers a suitable amount ofblockchain currency to the receiver device 108. The validation system110 may be an escrow service that has the ability to transfer ownershipof the item to the sending entity upon successful receipt of the amountof blockchain currency by the receiver device 108. The sender device 106may submit a new blockchain transaction to a blockchain node 102 in theblockchain network 104 for the transfer of blockchain currency andreport the transaction to the validation system 110. The validationsystem 110 may wait until the new block is added to the blockchain andrecreate the plurality of new blockchain transactions in the block usingthe transformed pseudomessage blocks. The validation system 110 mayreview the recreated plurality of blockchain transactions to identifythe transaction from the sender device 106 to the receiver device 108for the appropriate amount of blockchain currency. The validation system110 may then transfer ownership of the agreed-upon item to the entityassociated with the sender device 106.

The methods and systems discussed herein use AONT to transform newblockchain transactions prior to inclusion. The use of AONT enables anew block to be created without a Merkle root, as the transactions canbe verified by recreating the transformed transactions due to the use ofthe AONT. This results in faster generation of new blocks as the extrahashing for generation of the Merkle tree is unnecessary. This may alsoresult in reduced file sizes for blockchains as blockchain headers cancontain less data. At the same time, because the transactions aretransformed into pseudomessage blocks using the AONT, the transactionscan still be independently verified and validated while remainingimmutable and safe from fraud. As a result, the methods and systemsdiscussed herein provide for technical improvements over traditionalblockchain methods.

Blockchain Node

FIG. 2 illustrates an embodiment of a blockchain node 102, such asincluded in the blockchain network 104 in the system 100. It will beapparent to persons having skill in the relevant art that the embodimentof the blockchain node 102 illustrated in FIG. 2 is provided asillustration only and may not be exhaustive to all possibleconfigurations of the blockchain node 102 suitable for performing thefunctions as discussed herein. For example, the computer system 500illustrated in FIG. 5 and discussed in more detail below may be asuitable configuration of the blockchain node 102.

The blockchain node 102 may include a receiving device 202. Thereceiving device 202 may be configured to receive data over one or morenetworks via one or more network protocols. In some instances, thereceiving device 202 may be configured to receive data from otherblockchain nodes 102, sender devices 106, receiver devices 108,validation systems 110, and other systems and entities via one or morecommunication methods, such as radio frequency, local area networks,wireless area networks, cellular communication networks, Bluetooth, theInternet, etc. In some embodiments, the receiving device 202 may becomprised of multiple devices, such as different receiving devices forreceiving data over different networks, such as a first receiving devicefor receiving data over a local area network and a second receivingdevice for receiving data via the Internet. The receiving device 202 mayreceive electronically transmitted data signals, where data may besuperimposed or otherwise encoded on the data signal and decoded,parsed, read, or otherwise obtained via receipt of the data signal bythe receiving device 202. In some instances, the receiving device 202may include a parsing module for parsing the received data signal toobtain the data superimposed thereon. For example, the receiving device202 may include a parser program configured to receive and transform thereceived data signal into usable input for the functions performed bythe processing device to carry out the methods and systems describedherein.

The receiving device 202 may be configured to receive data signalselectronically transmitted by other blockchain nodes 102, which may besuperimposed or otherwise encoded with new blockchain transactions,blockchain transaction validations, confirmation messages, replymessages, new blocks, block reference values, etc. The receiving device202 may be configured to receive data signals electronically transmittedby sender devices 106 or receiver devices 108 that may be superimposedor otherwise encoded with new blockchain transactions, digitalsignatures, cryptographic keys, requests for blockchain data, etc. Thereceiving device 202 may also be configured to receive data signalselectronically transmitted by validation systems 110, which may besuperimposed or otherwise encoded with requests for blockchain data.

The blockchain node 102 may also include a communication module 204. Thecommunication module 204 may be configured to transmit data betweenmodules, engines, databases, memories, and other components of theblockchain node 102 for use in performing the functions discussedherein. The communication module 204 may be comprised of one or morecommunication types and utilize various communication methods forcommunications within a computing device. For example, the communicationmodule 204 may be comprised of a bus, contact pin connectors, wires,etc. In some embodiments, the communication module 204 may also beconfigured to communicate between internal components of the blockchainnode 102 and external components of the blockchain node 102, such asexternally connected databases, display devices, input devices, etc. Theblockchain node 102 may also include a processing device. The processingdevice may be configured to perform the functions of the blockchain node102 discussed herein as will be apparent to persons having skill in therelevant art. In some embodiments, the processing device may includeand/or be comprised of a plurality of engines and/or modules speciallyconfigured to perform one or more functions of the processing device,such as an encryption module 210, querying module 214, generation module216, validation module 218, etc. As used herein, the term “module” maybe software or hardware particularly programmed to receive an input,perform one or more processes using the input, and provides an output.The input, output, and processes performed by various modules will beapparent to one skilled in the art based upon the present disclosure.

The blockchain node 102 may also include blockchain data 206, which maybe stored in a memory 212 of the blockchain node 102 or stored in aseparate area within the blockchain node 102 or accessible thereby. Theblockchain data 206 may include a blockchain, which may be comprised ofa plurality of blocks and be associated with the blockchain network 104.The blockchain data 206 may also or alternatively include any dataassociated with one or more blockchain wallets that may be used by theblockchain node 102, such as cryptographic key pairs, unspenttransaction outputs, network identifiers for blockchain networks 104,swap key pairs, signature generation algorithms, encryption algorithms,etc.

The blockchain node 102 may also include a memory 212. The memory 212may be configured to store data for use by the blockchain node 102 inperforming the functions discussed herein, such as public and privatekeys, symmetric keys, etc. The memory 212 may be configured to storedata using suitable data formatting methods and schema and may be anysuitable type of memory, such as read-only memory, random access memory,etc. The memory 212 may include, for example, encryption keys andalgorithms, communication protocols and standards, data formattingstandards and protocols, program code for modules and applicationprograms of the processing device, and other data that may be suitablefor use by the blockchain node 102 in the performance of the functionsdisclosed herein as will be apparent to persons having skill in therelevant art. In some embodiments, the memory 212 may be comprised of ormay otherwise include a relational database that utilizes structuredquery language for the storage, identification, modifying, updating,accessing, etc. of structured data sets stored therein. The memory 212may be configured to store, for example, cryptographic keys, salts,nonces, communication information for blockchain nodes 102 andblockchain networks 104, address generation and validation algorithms,digital signature generation and validation algorithms, hashingalgorithms for generating reference values, AONT rules and algorithms,etc.

The blockchain node 102 may also include an encryption module 210. Theencryption module 210 may be configured to encrypt data or decryptencrypted data using keys and encryption algorithms, such as may bestored in the blockchain data 206 or memory 212 of the blockchain node102 or received by the receiving device 202 thereof. The encryptionmodule 210 may receive data and an instruction as input, and may encryptor decrypt the data as instructed, and output the resulting encrypted ordecrypted data to another module or engine of the blockchain node 102.The encryption module 210 may be configured to, for example, encryptdigital signatures using a public key, decrypt digital signatures usinga private key, encrypt or decrypt blockchain transactions, performencryption functions as part of an AONT, etc.

The blockchain node 102 may include a querying module 214. The queryingmodule 214 may be configured to execute queries on databases to identifyinformation. The querying module 214 may receive one or more data valuesor query strings and may execute a query string based thereon on anindicated database, such as the memory 212 of the blockchain node 102 toidentify information stored therein. The querying module 214 may thenoutput the identified information to an appropriate engine or module ofthe blockchain node 102 as necessary. The querying module 214 may, forexample, execute a query on the blockchain data 206 to identify receivedand validated new blockchain transactions for inclusion in a new blockto be generated.

The blockchain node 102 may also include a generation module 216. Thegeneration module 216 may be configured to generate data for use by theblockchain node 102 in performing the functions discussed herein. Thegeneration module 216 may receive instructions as input, may generatedata based on the instructions, and may output the generated data to oneor more modules of the blockchain node 102. For example, the generationmodule 216 may be configured to generate proposal messages, confirmationmessages, digital signatures, data signals, key pairs, block headers,blocks, pseudomessage blocks, etc.

The blockchain node 102 may also include a validation module 218. Thevalidation module 218 may be configured to perform validations for theblockchain node 102 as part of the functions discussed herein. Thevalidation module 218 may receive instructions as input, which may alsoinclude data to be used in performing a validation, may perform avalidation as requested, and may output a result of the validation toanother module or engine of the blockchain node 102. The validationmodule 218 may, for example, be configured to validate digitalsignatures using suitable signature generation algorithms and keys,validate transaction values, and other data as discussed herein.

The blockchain node 102 may also include a transmitting device 220. Thetransmitting device 220 may be configured to transmit data over one ormore networks via one or more network protocols. In some instances, thetransmitting device 220 may be configured to transmit data to otherblockchain nodes 102, sender devices 106, receiver devices 108,validation systems 110, and other entities via one or more communicationmethods, local area networks, wireless area networks, cellularcommunication, Bluetooth, radio frequency, the Internet, etc. In someembodiments, the transmitting device 220 may be comprised of multipledevices, such as different transmitting devices for transmitting dataover different networks, such as a first transmitting device fortransmitting data over a local area network and a second transmittingdevice for transmitting data via the Internet. The transmitting device220 may electronically transmit data signals that have data superimposedthat may be parsed by a receiving computing device. In some instances,the transmitting device 220 may include one or more modules forsuperimposing, encoding, or otherwise formatting data into data signalssuitable for transmission.

The transmitting device 220 may be configured to electronically transmitdata signals to other blockchain nodes 102, which may be superimposed orotherwise encoded with new blockchain transactions, blockchaintransaction validations, confirmation messages, reply messages, newblocks, block reference values, etc. The transmitting device 220 mayalso be configured to electronically transmit data signals to senderdevices 106 and receiver devices 108 that may be superimposed orotherwise encoded with requests for digital signatures or other data,new blocks, notifications regarding new blockchain transactions, etc.The transmitting device 220 may also be configured to electronicallytransmit data signals to validation systems 110, which may besuperimposed or otherwise encoded with blocks or other blockchain data.

Process for Generating New Blocks Using an all-or-Nothing Transform

FIG. 3 illustrates a process for generating new blocks in the system 100of FIG. 1 through the use of an all-or-nothing transform (AONT).

In step 302, the sender device 106 may submit a new blockchaintransaction to the blockchain node 102 using a suitable communicationnetwork and method, such as via an application programming interface,web page, etc. The new blockchain transaction may include a digitalsignature, one or more unspent transaction outputs, a destinationaddress, and a transaction amount. In step 304, the receiving device 202of the blockchain node 102 may receive the new blockchain transactionfrom the sender device 106, which may be one of a plurality of newblockchain transactions received by the blockchain node 102 forinclusion in a new block. In some embodiments, the validation module 218of the blockchain node 102 may validate each new blockchain transactionas received, where the validation of the new blockchain transaction mustbe successful for the new blockchain transaction to be included in a newblock.

In step 306, the generation module 216 of the blockchain node 102 mayapply an AONT to the plurality of new blockchain transactions togenerate a plurality of pseudomessage blocks. In one embodiment, theAONT may use AES and a counter mode of operation in transforming theplurality of new blockchain transactions. In some cases, the pluralityof new blockchain transactions may first be serialized into a byte arrayprior to application of the AONT to the byte array. In step 308, thegeneration module 216 of the blockchain node 102 may generate a newblock header for a new block for the blockchain. The new block headermay include at least a timestamp and a block reference value, which maybe generated via application of a one-way hashing algorithm to the mostrecent block added to the blockchain. In some cases, the block headermay also include an identification value. In an exemplary embodiment,the block header may not include a Merkle root or other data referencevalue. In step 310, the generation module 216 of the blockchain node 102may generate a new block for the blockchain. The new block may includethe newly generated block header as well as the plurality ofpseudomessage blocks generated in step 306.

In step 312, the new block may be published on the blockchain. The blockmay be published using any suitable method, such as by the transmittingdevice 220 of the blockchain node 102 electronically transmitting thenew block to a plurality of additional blockchain nodes 102 in theblockchain network 104 and the receipt of a confirmation message for thenew block from a majority of the additional blockchain nodes 102. Thenew block may then be publicly available. In step 314, the validationsystem 110 may receive the new block via any suitable method, such as byrequesting the new block from the blockchain node 102 or retrieving thenew block from a publicly available source of the blockchain, such asthrough an application programming interface and the blockchain node 102itself.

In step 316, the validation system 110 may rebuild, i.e., recreate, theplurality of new blockchain transactions by using the plurality ofpseudomessage blocks stored in the new block. In cases where theplurality of new blockchain transactions were serialized prior toapplication of the AONT, the validation system 110 may recreate theserialized data and may separate the transaction data after therecreation has been performed. The recreation of data usingpseudomessage blocks generated via an AONT may be performed usingmethods that will be apparent to persons having skill in the relevantart based on the AONT and mode of operation used. In step 318, thevalidation system 110 may validate the new blockchain transaction thatwas submitted by the sender device 106 in step 302, such as by ensuringthe destination address and transaction amount match expected data.

Exemplary Method for Generating a New Block

FIG. 4 illustrates a method 400 for the generation of a new block in ablockchain network by a blockchain node utilizing an all-or-nothingtransform.

In step 402, a blockchain comprised of a plurality of blocks including amost recent block may be stored in a memory (e.g., memory 212) of ablockchain node (e.g., blockchain node 102) in a blockchain network(e.g., blockchain network 104). In step 404, a plurality of blockchaintransactions may be received by a receiver (e.g., receiving device 202)of the blockchain node. In step 406, an all-or-nothing transform (AONT)may be applied by a processor (e.g., generation module 216) of theblockchain node to the plurality of blockchain transactions to generatea plurality of pseudomessage blocks.

In step 408, a new block header may be generated by the processor of theblockchain node, the new block header including at least a timestamp anda hash value associated with the most recent block. In step 410, a newblock may be generated by the processor of the blockchain node, the newblock including at least the generated new block header and theplurality of pseudomessage blocks. In step 412, the generated new blockmay be transmitted by a transmitter (e.g., transmitting device 220) ofthe blockchain node to a plurality of additional blockchain nodes in theblockchain network.

In one embodiment, the method 400 may further include validating, by theprocessor (e.g., validation module 218) of the blockchain node, eachblockchain transaction of the plurality of blockchain transactions priorto applying the AONT. In some embodiments, the method 400 may alsoinclude serializing, by the processor of the blockchain node, theplurality of blockchain transactions into a byte array prior to applyingthe AONT. In one embodiment, the AONT may use Advanced EncryptionStandard (AES). In some embodiments, the AONT may use a counter mode ofoperation. In one embodiment, each blockchain transaction of theplurality of blockchain transactions may comprise a plaintext block usedin the AONT. In some embodiments, the method 400 may further includehashing, by the processor of the blockchain node, each blockchaintransaction of the plurality of blockchain transactions, wherein theAONT is applied to each hashed blockchain transaction for the pluralityof blockchain transactions. In one embodiment, the new block header maynot include a Merkle root.

Computer System Architecture

FIG. 5 illustrates a computer system 500 in which embodiments of thepresent disclosure, or portions thereof, may be implemented ascomputer-readable code. For example, the blockchain node 102 of FIGS. 1and 2 may be implemented in the computer system 500 using hardware,non-transitory computer readable media having instructions storedthereon, or a combination thereof and may be implemented in one or morecomputer systems or other processing systems. Hardware may embodymodules and components used to implement the methods of FIGS. 3 and 4 .

If programmable logic is used, such logic may execute on a commerciallyavailable processing platform configured by executable software code tobecome a specific purpose computer or a special purpose device (e.g.,programmable logic array, application-specific integrated circuit,etc.). A person having ordinary skill in the art may appreciate thatembodiments of the disclosed subject matter can be practiced withvarious computer system configurations, including multi-coremultiprocessor systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, computerslinked or clustered with distributed functions, as well as pervasive orminiature computers that may be embedded into virtually any device. Forinstance, at least one processor device and a memory may be used toimplement the above-described embodiments.

A processor unit or device as discussed herein may be a singleprocessor, a plurality of processors, or combinations thereof. Processordevices may have one or more processor “cores.” The terms “computerprogram medium,” “non-transitory computer readable medium,” and“computer usable medium” as discussed herein are used to generally referto tangible media such as a removable storage unit 518, a removablestorage unit 522, and a hard disk installed in hard disk drive 512.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure are described in terms ofthis example computer system 500. After reading this description, itwill become apparent to a person skilled in the relevant art how toimplement the present disclosure using other computer systems and/orcomputer architectures. Although operations may be described as asequential process, some of the operations may in fact be performed inparallel, concurrently, and/or in a distributed environment, and withprogram code stored locally or remotely for access by single ormulti-processor machines. In addition, in some embodiments the order ofoperations may be rearranged without departing from the spirit of thedisclosed subject matter.

Processor device 504 may be a special purpose or a general-purposeprocessor device specifically configured to perform the functionsdiscussed herein. The processor device 504 may be connected to acommunications infrastructure 506, such as a bus, message queue,network, multi-core message-passing scheme, etc. The network may be anynetwork suitable for performing the functions as disclosed herein andmay include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), awireless network (e.g., WiFi), a mobile communication network, asatellite network, the Internet, fiber optic, coaxial cable, infrared,radio frequency (RF), or any combination thereof. Other suitable networktypes and configurations will be apparent to persons having skill in therelevant art. The computer system 500 may also include a main memory 508(e.g., random access memory, read-only memory, etc.), and may alsoinclude a secondary memory 510. The secondary memory 510 may include thehard disk drive 512 and a removable storage drive 514, such as a floppydisk drive, a magnetic tape drive, an optical disk drive, a flashmemory, etc.

The removable storage drive 514 may read from and/or write to theremovable storage unit 518 in a well-known manner. The removable storageunit 518 may include a removable storage media that may be read by andwritten to by the removable storage drive 514. For example, if theremovable storage drive 514 is a floppy disk drive or universal serialbus port, the removable storage unit 518 may be a floppy disk orportable flash drive, respectively. In one embodiment, the removablestorage unit 518 may be non-transitory computer readable recordingmedia.

In some embodiments, the secondary memory 510 may include alternativemeans for allowing computer programs or other instructions to be loadedinto the computer system 500, for example, the removable storage unit522 and an interface 520. Examples of such means may include a programcartridge and cartridge interface (e.g., as found in video gamesystems), a removable memory chip (e.g., EEPROM, PROM, etc.) andassociated socket, and other removable storage units 522 and interfaces520 as will be apparent to persons having skill in the relevant art.

Data stored in the computer system 500 (e.g., in the main memory 508and/or the secondary memory 510) may be stored on any type of suitablecomputer readable media, such as optical storage (e.g., a compact disc,digital versatile disc, Blu-ray disc, etc.) or magnetic tape storage(e.g., a hard disk drive). The data may be configured in any type ofsuitable database configuration, such as a relational database, astructured query language (SQL) database, a distributed database, anobject database, etc. Suitable configurations and storage types will beapparent to persons having skill in the relevant art.

The computer system 500 may also include a communications interface 524.The communications interface 524 may be configured to allow software anddata to be transferred between the computer system 500 and externaldevices. Exemplary communications interfaces 524 may include a modem, anetwork interface (e.g., an Ethernet card), a communications port, aPCMCIA slot and card, etc. Software and data transferred via thecommunications interface 524 may be in the form of signals, which may beelectronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals as will beapparent to persons having skill in the relevant art. The signals maytravel via a communications path 526, which may be configured to carrythe signals and may be implemented using wire, cable, fiber optics, aphone line, a cellular phone link, a radio frequency link, etc.

The computer system 500 may further include a display interface 502. Thedisplay interface 502 may be configured to allow data to be transferredbetween the computer system 500 and external display 530. Exemplarydisplay interfaces 502 may include high-definition multimedia interface(HDMI), digital visual interface (DVI), video graphics array (VGA), etc.The display 530 may be any suitable type of display for displaying datatransmitted via the display interface 502 of the computer system 500,including a cathode ray tube (CRT) display, liquid crystal display(LCD), light-emitting diode (LED) display, capacitive touch display,thin-film transistor (TFT) display, etc.

Computer program medium and computer usable medium may refer tomemories, such as the main memory 508 and secondary memory 510, whichmay be memory semiconductors (e.g., DRAMs, etc.). These computer programproducts may be means for providing software to the computer system 500.Computer programs (e.g., computer control logic) may be stored in themain memory 508 and/or the secondary memory 510. Computer programs mayalso be received via the communications interface 524. Such computerprograms, when executed, may enable computer system 500 to implement thepresent methods as discussed herein. In particular, the computerprograms, when executed, may enable processor device 504 to implementthe methods illustrated by FIGS. 3 and 4 , as discussed herein.Accordingly, such computer programs may represent controllers of thecomputer system 500. Where the present disclosure is implemented usingsoftware, the software may be stored in a computer program product andloaded into the computer system 500 using the removable storage drive514, interface 520, and hard disk drive 512, or communications interface524.

The processor device 504 may comprise one or more modules or enginesconfigured to perform the functions of the computer system 500. Each ofthe modules or engines may be implemented using hardware and, in someinstances, may also utilize software, such as corresponding to programcode and/or programs stored in the main memory 508 or secondary memory510. In such instances, program code may be compiled by the processordevice 504 (e.g., by a compiling module or engine) prior to execution bythe hardware of the computer system 500. For example, the program codemay be source code written in a programming language that is translatedinto a lower level language, such as assembly language or machine code,for execution by the processor device 504 and/or any additional hardwarecomponents of the computer system 500. The process of compiling mayinclude the use of lexical analysis, preprocessing, parsing, semanticanalysis, syntax-directed translation, code generation, codeoptimization, and any other techniques that may be suitable fortranslation of program code into a lower-level language suitable forcontrolling the computer system 500 to perform the functions disclosedherein. It will be apparent to persons having skill in the relevant artthat such processes result in the computer system 500 being a speciallyconfigured computer system 500 uniquely programmed to perform thefunctions discussed above.

Techniques consistent with the present disclosure provide, among otherfeatures, systems and methods for generating a block for a blockchainutilizing an all-or-nothing transform. While various exemplaryembodiments of the disclosed system and method have been described aboveit should be understood that they have been presented for purposes ofexample only, not limitations. It is not exhaustive and does not limitthe disclosure to the precise form disclosed. Modifications andvariations are possible in light of the above teachings or may beacquired from practicing of the disclosure, without departing from thebreadth or scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for generating a block for a blockchainutilizing an all-or-nothing transform, comprising: storing, in a memoryof a blockchain node in a blockchain network, a blockchain comprised ofa plurality of blocks including at least a most recent block; receiving,by a receiver of the blockchain node, a plurality of blockchaintransactions; applying, by a processor of the blockchain node, anall-or-nothing transform (AONT) to the plurality of blockchaintransactions to generate a plurality of pseudomessage blocks;generating, by the processor of the blockchain node, a new block headerincluding at least a timestamp and a hash value associated with the mostrecent block; generating, by the processor of the blockchain node, a newblock including at least the generated new block header and theplurality of pseudomessage blocks; and transmitting, by a transmitter ofthe blockchain node, the generated new block to a plurality ofadditional blockchain nodes in the blockchain network.
 2. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: validating, by the processor of theblockchain node, each blockchain transaction of the plurality ofblockchain transactions prior to applying the AONT.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: serializing, by the processor of theblockchain node, the plurality of blockchain transactions into a bytearray prior to applying the AONT.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein theAONT uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the AONT uses a counter mode of operation.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein each blockchain transaction of the plurality ofblockchain transactions comprises a plaintext block used in the AONT. 7.The method of claim 1, further comprising: hashing, by the processor ofthe blockchain node, each blockchain transaction of the plurality ofblockchain transactions, wherein the AONT is applied to each hashedblockchain transaction for the plurality of blockchain transactions. 8.The method of claim 1, wherein the new block header does not include aMerkle root.
 9. A system for generating a block for a blockchainutilizing an all-or-nothing transform, comprising: a blockchain networkincluding a plurality of additional blockchain nodes; and a blockchainnode in the blockchain network including a memory storing a blockchaincomprised of a plurality of blocks including at least a most recentblock, a receiver receiving a plurality of blockchain transactions, aprocessor applying an all-or-nothing transform (AONT) to the pluralityof blockchain transactions to generate a plurality of pseudomessageblocks, generating a new block header including at least a timestamp anda hash value associated with the most recent block, and generating a newblock including at least the generated new block header and theplurality of pseudomessage blocks, and a transmitter transmitting thegenerated new block to the plurality of additional blockchain nodes inthe blockchain network.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the processorof the blockchain node further validates each blockchain transaction ofthe plurality of blockchain transactions prior to applying the AONT. 11.The system of claim 9, wherein the processor of the blockchain nodefurther serializes the plurality of blockchain transactions into a bytearray prior to applying the AONT.
 12. The system of claim 9, wherein theAONT uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES).
 13. The system of claim 9,wherein the AONT uses a counter mode of operation.
 14. The system ofclaim 9, wherein each blockchain transaction of the plurality ofblockchain transactions comprises a plaintext block used in the AONT.15. The system of claim 9, wherein the processor of the blockchain nodehashes each blockchain transaction of the plurality of blockchaintransactions, and the AONT is applied to each hashed blockchaintransaction for the plurality of blockchain transactions.
 16. The systemof claim 9, wherein the new block header does not include a Merkle root.